I have been awed recently by the sight of Greg Oden, who has been practically living in the Blazers weight room now that he is off his crutches.

The first thing that pops out is his upper-body. His shoulders are bursting, and his biceps are now cut and defined.

And get this: A high-ranking Blazers source told me that Oden today still has the same body-fat percentage (7.8 percent) as he did when the Blazers drafted him, yet he has gained nearly 30 pounds, bringing him near 280 pounds.

Translation: That's 30 pounds of muscle that has been attached to his upper-body (he hasn't been able to do any lower body weight training because of his knee surgery).

And I tell you, it's noticeable when you see him in short sleeves. He's not quite Karl Malone ripped, but his body has definitely taken to the weight program of Bobby Medina. And remember, Oden wasn't able to lift during college because he was recovering from a wrist injury. So imagine what this kid is going to look like after 10 months more of working out in the weight room.